Gauge and outlet fitting for drums



Oct. 8, 1940.

c. EKLUMB Er Al.

` GAUGE AND OUTLET `FTI'INCr' FOR DRUMS Filed April s, 1939 edf @TEN-rolas,

BY A27/gyme Patented ct. 8, 194() UNITED 'Y STATES y e .2,216317 I q .i cAUGEANo OUTLET HTTING Fon DRUMS V Carl E. Klumb, West Bend, and Roy H. Hecker, q v

` Milwaukee, Wis.

Application April 3, 1939, serial No. 265,642

1 5c1aims. (c1. 'z3-S17) This invention relates'` to improvements in gaugeand outlet fittingsv for drums. Y

In industry it is common to `order liquids, such as industrial` solvents,A in 50 gallondrums and these drums are returned as emptieswhen a new filled oneis delivered. During use, the liquid is dispensed directly from the drums through faucets which have been screwed into an opening provided therefor. Heretofore,` there has been `no way` of ascertaining the amount of liquid ina `:drum` of this type because there is no opening `provided for the reception of` agauge, and it `would notbe practical for a user to make a special gauge installation in a drum which must b returnedwhen empty.

i It is therefore a principal object of the inven-` tion to provide an improved fitting insertable in the faucet opening of afstandard drum which fitting provides for the use of both a gauge and a faucet, or other outlet, cooperable with said 4single drum openingj q q u v i A further object of the invention is to provide a structure as above described Whichipermitsthe `quick insertion of a gauge and outlet `connection in a Standard drum while said drum is filled with liquid without necessitating4 alteration` of `said drum, and which further permitsquick `removal of the gauge and outlet fitting from*` an empty drum before said drum is returned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fitting particularly adapted for use in conjunction with a float type of gauge `wherein the float `is carried on the end of` ya swinging arm, there being novel means on said fitting `for maintaining I said arm ina stationary position to permit inservtion of the gauge in a filled drum, whereby the float will not be actedupon by the fluid to hinder expensive in construction, which is a convenience to users of `liquid drums, and whichisotherwise well adapted for the purpose described. i

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the improved gauge and outlet fitting for drums and all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof. Y.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one f complete embodiment `of the preferred form, of the invention, in which thesame reference numerals designate the same parts in all ofthe views: Fig. 1 isa view showing the improvedgauge and outlet,l `tting connected to the standard opening of a drum,v Vthe drum being shown in longitudinal section andthe dot and dash lines yindicating the position of the float when the drum is filled;

Fig. 2 isa View on an enlarged scale of the 5 gauge andv outlet unit, parts being shown in section and the gauge arm being broken away;

Fig. 3 iS a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; `and Fig. 4 is agplan view of the gauge removed from 10 'the fitting,` parts being broken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a drum which may be `a standard article of 50 gallon capacity formed of metal. One end of thedrum may be formed with 15 `a threaded opening 6 which in standard practice threaded opening tv of the drum for dispensing the liquid from the drum. With such an ar,-

rangement the amount of liquid remaining in the drum at any time cannot be determined and 25 -it isa great inconvenience to users in that the liquid may be found to be exhausted at some time when it is most needed and when no new drum is on hand to take care of the requirement.

l The present invention includes the use of a 30 fitting 9 having its upper end formed with a bore `II) which extends transversely therethroughand which bore is threaded as at II and I2. Communicating With the lower portion of the bore I0 and Within. the tting is' a downwardly extend 35 ing passageway I3 which communicates with a laterally extending interiorly threaded outlet `connection I4. The outlet connection I4 is of a size to receive the threaded stem portion 'I of a standard dispensing faucet 8, or in lieu of the dis- 40 pensing faucet an outlet pipe line may be connected to the opening I4 to convey the liquid to a remote point of use. 4 I v i q Threaded into the inner threaded end portion II` of the transverse bore I0` is an exteriorly 45 threadedextension I5, which `extension is of a size to cooperate with the threaded opening 6 of a standard drum to connect the fitting to said drum. Ifhe threaded extension I5 mayof course be an `integral part of the fitting 9if desired.

The gauge which it is contemplated to employ in connection with the fitting includes a dial I6 having the usual quantity designations thereon, andsaid dial has a pin I'l projecting outwardly therefromhfor.; supporting ,an indicator needle I8,y 55

which needle is of magnetic material and freely rotatable on the pin. 'Ihe dial is carried by the outer end of a supporting member i9 which supporting member has a threaded portion 20 insertable in the threaded outer end portion l2 of the bore I0. A window of glass or other suitable material I9' may cover the dial and needle. Projecting inwardly from the lower part of the threaded extension 2D of the dial support l5 is an elongated bracket 2| which is substantially U- shaped in cross-section. The bracket 2| has a bottom opening 22 therein, with the material from said opening bent upwardly as at 23 and apertured as at 24, to provide a bearing. The upper end opening 25 of the tting passageway I3 is positioned to be in registration with the opening 22 of the gauge bracket 2|, whereby liquid entering the extension l5 of ltheiitting may ow freely through the openings 22 and 25 into the passageway I3 without interference ,from the gauge actuating mechanism.

The extreme inner endof the gauge bracket 2| is formed With upstanding laterally spaced ears 2B khaving apertures 2 therein, and outwardly of said ears is an upwardly bent bearing extension 28 having an opening 25 therein, A rotatable shaft 30 is journaled through the openings 24 and 29 of the bearing members 23 and 28 and the outer end of said shaft carries a permanent magnet 3l which is rotatable with the shaft 3] directly behind the dial I6. Rotation of the magnet causes the metal needle on the other side of the dial to rotate in accordance with the movement of the magnet 3l.

On the extreme inner end of the shaft 3i), there is a segmental pinion 32 which is in mesh with a rack member 33. Therack member 33 forms part of a U-shaped member 34 which can oscillate in a vertical plane on the short shaft 35 which extends through the openings 2T in the ears 2G. The shaft 35 may be formed by a bent portion of the inner end of the iioat arm 36, said inner end also cooperating as at 31 with an extension 38 of the member 34 carrying the rack 33. Thus the rack 33 and float arm 36 are united for movement together. The extreme end of the float arm 35 'carries a suitable iioat 39.

The upper end portion o-f the fitting 9 is pro- -vided with an interiorly threaded recess 42 for reception of a plug 4|, which retains a liquid packing 42 in position in the bottom of the recess. A screw 43 is threaded through the plug 4i and through the wall of the fitting 9, with its 4lower vendV engageable with an intermediate portion of the gauge shaft 30. By turning the set screw 43 'down into a position of firm engagement With t -e shaft 30, said shaft will be frictionally retained against rotation and as a result, swinging movement of the float arm 35 is prevented. Thus the iioat arm may be positively maintained in the straight position shown by full lines in Fig. l, While the fitting and-connected devices are being screwed into a filled drum. By thus retaining the float arm against swinging movement during insertion, the iioat will not be acted upon by the buoyant f1uid Without this mechanism, it would be impossible for the unit to be inserted in a filled `drum without doing permanent damage to the Viioat arm because the latter would immediately move tothe dot and dash line position of Fig. l, and as the unit was rotated while being inserted in the opening 6, the freely swinging arm would be `jammed against wall portions of the drum and permanently bent or otherwise damaged.

In use of. the device, itis apparent that when a vfilled-drum is received at an industrial plant, that the gauge and outlet unit may be quickly inserted in the opening 6 of the lled drum while the set screw 43 is locking the iioat arm against movement and while the drum is standing on end. The drum is then placed in dispensing position of Fig. 1 and the set screw is loosened to permit the gauge mechanism to function. Upon loosening the set screw 43, the iioat will immediately assume the dot and dash line position of Fig. l and a filled condition will be indicated on the gauge. Various intermediately lled conditions will be likewise indicated due to the fact that movement of the swinging iioat arm 33 transmits rotating movement to the shaft 35 and magnet 3| through the rack 33 and segmental pinion 32 and, of course, the dial indicating needle will follow the magnet 3l.

Due to the peculiar construction of the fitting 9, the single drum opening 5 is adapted for cooperation with both the gauge and outlet connection. The opening 25 in the fitting, which connects with-the outlet passageway i3, is so positioned as to be in registration with the opening 22 of the gauge bracket vwhereby the gauge in no way interferes with the discharge of liquid through the fitting and through the faucet 8 or 'other outlet connection.

When the drum is empty, the fitting and gauge can be quickly removed and replaced in a filled drum and the empty drum can be returned to the drum owner. The inner side of the depending portion of the fitting 9 is preferably angled as at 44 to clear the bead 45 on the end of the drum.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that various changes Vand modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention and all of such changes are contemplated as 'may come within the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

l. A gauge and outlet unit comprising a fitting having a common gauge `and discharge bore extending therethrough, means at the inner end of said bore for threaded cooperation with the faucet opening of a liquid drum to provide for connection of said tting to a drum with the axis of the gauge bore in alinement with the axis of the drum opening, a liquid level indicator connected to said fitting at the outer end of said bore, a rotatable indicator voperating shaft extending through said bore, a oat arm swingably 'carried by said fitting-at the inner end of said bore so as to be alineable with said bore, means between said float arm `and rotatable shaft for positively transmitting movement to the latter whenever the iioat is moved, and exteriorly accessible means on the fitting engageable with said rotatable shaft for preventing rotation of vsaid shaft and swinging movement of the float arm 'and for positively holding the latter in stationary position alined with the fitting bore when the iitvting is being threaded into the faucet opening of arlled drum.

2. A gauge and outlet unit comprising a fitting having a common gauge and discharge bore eX- tending therethrough, means at the inner end of said bore for threaded cooperation With the faucet opening of a liquid drum to provide for connection of said fitting to a drum with the axis of the gauge bore in alinement with the axis of the drum opening, a liquid level indicator connected to said fitting at the outer end of said bore, a rotatable indicator operating shaft extending through said-bore, a float arm swingably carried by said tting at the inner end of said boreso as to be alineable with saidbore, means between said float arm and rotatable shaft for positively transmitting movement tothe latter whenever the float is moved, and an exteriorly accessible screw threaded into the fitting and having its lower end engageab-le with `said rotatable shaft for preventing rotation of said shaft and swinging movement of the oat arm and for positively the float arm within the drum, said tting havingv a liquid discharge passageway communicating with an intermediate portion of said bore whereby a single drum opening may serve for both a gauge connection opening and a discharge opening, and exterorly accessible means on said tting extending into the gauge bore for positively holding the gauge float arm stationary and in alinement with the bore while the ntting is being threaded into they opening of a filled drum.

4. A gauge and outlet unit comprising a fitting having a gauge bore extending therethrough, screw threads on the inn-er end of said fitting surrounding the bore and cooperable with the threaded discharge opening of a liquid drum to connect the ttingto a drum with the axis of the gauge bore in alinement'with the axis of the drum opening, a liquid level indicator connected to said fitting at the outer end of said bore, a rotatable indicator operating shaft extending through said bore, a iioat arm pivoted to the tting at the inner end of the bore and adapted to extend into a ydrum opening, and gearing between the float arm and rotatable shaft for positively transmitting movement to the latter whenever the float is moved, the operating pivot for the iloat arm extending transversely oi the gauge bore, whereby the float arm maybe axially alined while in `an operable position with the discharge opening of a drum to permit quick removal of the fitting from an empty drum and quick insertion of the fitting into a filled drum, said fitting having a liquid discharge passageway communicating with an intermediate portion of said gauge bore.

5. In combination, a portable liquid drum having a threaded discharge opening in an end thereof, a fitting having agaug-e bore extending therethrough, screw threads on the inner end of said tting surrounding the bore and cooper-able with the threaded discharge opening of the drum to connect the fitting to the drum with the axis of thergaugev bore in alinernent with the axis of the drum opening, a liquid level indicator connected tosaid fitting at the outer end of said bore, a rotatable indicator operating shaft extending through said bore, a float arm pivoted to the tting at the inner end of the bore and extending into the drum, and gearing between the iloat arm and rotatable shaft for positively transmitting movement to the. latter whenever the float is moved, the ope-rating pivot for the float arm extending transversely of the gauge bore, whereby the iloat Iarm may be axially alined in a position of operating movement with the discharge opening of the drum to permit quick removal of the fitting from the drum when empty and quick insertion of said tting into a new iilled drum, said fitting having a liquid discharge passageway communicating with an intermediate portion of said gauge bore.

` CARL El. KLUMB.

ROY H. HECKER. 

